Look to Japan for ageing population solution

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The great Australian dream of a quiet retirement by the beach
could become a thing of the past if we follow the example set by
Japan, home to the world's fastest-growing aged population.

As governments struggle to encourage people to extend their
working lives, a leading academic says Australia could learn a lot
from Japan, where 60 per cent of men aged 65 to 69 are still
working.

Professor John McCallum, Victoria University's deputy
vice-chancellor, will speak today at the World Expo in Japan, where
the two countries will share insights on coping with ageing
populations.

In Japan, people over 65 are expected to make up more than
one-quarter of the population by 2020, compared with 17 per cent in
Australia.

Professor McCallum said the rate of workforce participation in
Japan for men over 65 was three times higher than in Australia,
where only 17 per cent of this age group worked.

One-quarter of Japanese men are still working after they have
turned 75. "The biggest thing that Japan has that we don't have is
a much stronger participation in the workforce," Professor McCallum
said.

But if Australia follows Japan's lead, older men may have to
relinquish their grip on the top jobs.

In Japan, older men step down from senior positions and take
lower-level jobs to make way for younger generations.

The Japanese are also hoping to gain an insight into Australia's
experience of aged care, as they look for alternative ways of
caring for the elderly.

With more Japanese women entering the workforce, the tradition
of children caring for their parents is fading.

The number of Japanese aged over 65 who live with their families
has dropped from 60 per cent to 40 per cent in the past 10
years.

Mari Heazlewood, president of the Japan Club of Victoria, said
caring for your elders was an important part of Japanese
culture.

Ms Heazlewood returns to Japan every three months to visit her
parents, both aged 83. Her father, a former university professor,
retired only when he turned 70.

Despite the concerns about ageing populations, Professor
McCallum said new business opportunities would emerge as consumer
products would need to be redesigned for older people.

And Japan, the home of robotics, is leading the way, with
inventors already talking about a "companion robot" to keep the
elderly company.